Apple under pressure to respond to the iPhone followed

Apple is facing pressure Thursday to respond to claims that its iPhone 4 saves sensitive location data, which are transferred and stored on the user's computer in a protected and non-encrypted format.

A Conference of technology on Wednesday, Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden, two British researchers, said a program on localization of smartphone records information and timestamp, which are then downloaded to the hard disk of the user.

The news prompted several politicians U.S. to send queries to Apple requesting clarification, including Edward Markey, a Republican member of the Massachusetts.

"I am concerned by this report and the consequences of this functionality for the privacy of individuals," Markey wrote in a letter to Steve Jobs.

Markey has asked the company to explain the question of whether the reports are true, why the company has installed the software and how it intends to serve.

Democratic Senator Al Franken sent a similar letter Wednesday.

In an e-mail Thursday, a spokesman for the Canadian Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart said "we are following this with interest.".

"The issue is location-based information, which can be very sensitive personal information," senior advisor communications Valerie Lawton wrote in an e-mail, adding that so far, the Organization had received no complaints.

Attempts to contact Apple were not successful, and the company issued a statement on the claims.

Michael Geist, University of Ottawa Law Professor, said that the software is a worrying development.

"I think that there is privacy and security that the information itself is stored in insecurity, non-encrypted, to be potentially vulnerable to hackers and to the fishing expedition by application of the Act," he said.

Geist, who also serves as the Advisory Committee of experts of the Canadian Privacy Commissioner, said that it was able to recover its own location data with its iPhone 4.

"It is astonishing to see literally everywhere wherever you've spent the last months plotted on a map," he said.

Allan and park wardens have set up a website describing in detail how the information is recorded, where he is and measures that may be taken to protect the information, including encryption of data.

In a blog on the O'Reilly Radar, a technology Web site, they said that the data collection feature seems to have emerged with the release of iOS 4 in June 2010.

Allan and Wardan said data is transmitted not anywhere elsewhere, but it is normally stored in an unprotected format. He is also transferred to a new phone from Apple when this device is synchronized with the computer.

"We are not sure why Apple is collects these data, but it is clearly intentional, as the database is being restored through backups and even migration of device,"they wrote.""

A BBC News Online article suggests users may be tacitly consenting to the disclosure of this information.

Apple publishes its terms and conditions on its website.

"We may collect information such as occupation, language, code postal, indicative, unique device identifier, location and timezone where an Apple product is used so that we can better understand customer behavior and improve our products."", services and advertising" the document said.

However, Geist said that society must do more to be transparent about how it collects personal information.

"We are talking about tens of millions of people who are affected." Even if it is in the strict letter of the law, I think that goes outside the expectation of most consumers, "he says.

Geist said that wait to see the Governments in the United States and the Canada take a more active role in the coming days.

"I think that we will see real action here," he said.

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Nokia Profit may fall 49% as pressure grows on combined goal

April 20, 2011, 3: 40 pm EDT by Diana ben-Aaron

(Updates with share today trade in the sixth paragraph).

April 20 (Bloomberg)--Nokia Oyj may tomorrow report a decrease of 49 per cent of profit and forecast further erosion before that big manufacturer the most mobile phones introduced its first smartphones using the operating system of Microsoft Corp...Income net in the first quarter Nokia based in Espoo, Finland can fall to 177 million euros ($253 million) of 349 million euros a year earlier, on the average of 19 Analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. For devices and services adjusted for certain items probably operating margin fell by 3.6 percentage points to 8.5%, the average of 23 estimates shows.Director General Stephen Elop, a former leader of Microsoft, said in February Nokia adopting Windows Phone 7 Microsoft operating system main smartphone, replacement of the Symbian platform he used more than 10 years. Investors want to know how long it will take to achieve the objective of $ 150 million of sale more combined on the latest versions of Symbian. "I will be not in the second quarter or the slope of the down - eventually be lower than the first quarter and thus implicitly the pit depth could be resumed until we get a new product-based"," said Stuart Jeffrey, an analyst from Nomura International Plc, London, which has a rating on the stock "reduce".MarginNokia of operation did not provide a year full forecast, citing uncertainty caused during the transition to Microsoft software. On 11 February, the day, he announced the agreement, Elop as a long-term objective to increase combined sales faster than the market with an operating margin adjusted 10 percent or after the transition to Windows Phone morethat he is expected to take place in 2011 and 2012.The shares added 7.5 cents or 1.3%, 1066mhz euros to 10: 30 a.m. Helsinki, valuing the company at EUR 21.9 billion. Before today, Nokia has lost 29 percent since announcing the partnership of Microsoft.Investisseurs will look for guidance on how much combined time margins will remain below the level of 10.9% last year and what will be the reorganized company.Job losses?Elop has predicted "substantial reductions" in jobs cuts analysts say may reduce one third of the euro 3 billion annual budget of the research and development. "As the current portfolio of Symbian matures and actually begins to expire without any new device Windows coming out in the near future, I think that the second half and in the third quarter specifically could be veryvery difficult, "said Mikko Ervasti, an analyst based in Helsinki at Evli Bank.Symbian market share, to 37.6% in 2010, will fall to 19.2 per cent this year and 5.2% in 2012, according to forecasts by researcher Gartner Inc., which measure sales to consumers." In the fourth quarter, Nokia has a share of smartphone of 30.8%, down 20 percentage since Apple Inc. points has shipped its first iPhone in 2007, according to Gartner.Apple, Sony EricssonApple, which presents the results today, can be said profit rose 64 percent to 5.03 billion on sales 23.4 billion. In the first quarter of Nokia forecast for devices and sales services is EUR 6.8 billion to 7.3 billion euros, with a margin in devices operating, adjusted restructuring charges and depreciation of assets acquired, from 7 to 10%.Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ltd., which moved to Android's Symbian the last year, reported yesterday a profit of EUR 11 million surprise after the company has sold high - combined price.Nokia will report earnings to approximately 1 local time tomorrow, with a conference call at 3 a.m., which can be monitored through the Web site. "My sense is that the temptation will be strong enough to sink Elop - this quarter - trying to set a clear canvas by saying that it is possible that we could be down 20 percent from year to year in unit shipments, "said Lee Simpson, an analyst at Jefferies International Ltd. London.N8 SmartphoneNokia of the device in the first quarter shipments, usually lower, probably dragged company 1.6% from a year earlier to 106.1 million units, according to analysts surveyed by Bloomberg." Portfolio during the quarter included phone touchscreen N8 that he used to release a Symbian improved in September, with three related models, including the C7, which T-Mobile USA sells as probably Astound .first-quarter income has increased by 6.5% to 10.14 billion euros, the average 39 estimates, as deployed Nokia in new models more operators and markets.Android, IPhone5Nokia last week released an update for Symbian and two smartphones to ship in the summer, when they are likely to compete with the iPhone of Apple 5 and the latest models running the system Android from Google Inc. from vendorsincluding Samsung Electronics Co., seller of second combined of the world and HTC Corp., the Taiwanese manufacturer who spent Nokia in the market value of this month.Gartner predicts that android will run on 38.5% and smartphones sold this year. Google software moves in less expensive hardware and begins to compete with the high volume, low margin phones company composed of half of Nokia handset revenues and 78% of its unit sales last year. "Investors will want to get a sense of how much time will a Symbian tail, the speed with which it will ramp down,"stated Stephen Patel, an analyst based in San Francisco to Gleacher & Co."It will depend on the reaction of consumers to Nokia going end-of-life with Symbian. "Some don't care and others want to buy a product that is not going to be around a few years."Japan EffectInvestors will also look for advice on knowledge if after the earthquake in Japan last month will affect shipments in the second and third quarters, Patel said, adding that disruptions, it could offset the usual seasonal increase. "" I will be the potential impact of the Japan, particularly in terms of supply chain, the potential bottlenecks and margins - or non-deterioration during the last year, we have seen will continue ", said Leon Cappaert, a Fund Manager of KBC Asset Management in Brussels with 330 million euros under managementincluding shares of Nokia into a General Fund for weighting purposes.

-Editors: Kenneth Wong, Rob Valpuesta.

To contact the reporter on this story: Diana ben-Aaron in Helsinki at dbenaaron1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kenneth Wong in Berlin at the kwong11@bloomberg.net

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On China pressure release dissidents artist - New York Times

The Foreign Ministry, mark toner, a spokesman said the United States "deeply the trend of forced disappear, detentions, arrests and convictions of human rights activists worried opponents of was to exercise their internationally recognized human right of freedom of expression."

The German Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle said, "I appeal to the Chinese Government urgently provide clarification, and I expect Ai Weiwei be released immediately." United Kingdom and France issued similar statements.

Mr AI, 53, is the most high-profile person in a sprawling Chinese Government campaign against his critics in prison are taking. Dozens of people rounded up, some have been formally arrested on charges of inciting the Subversion and almost a dozen have disappeared in police custody.

Mr. AI has suffered in recent months a series of finger-pointing as authorities of less tolerant abuse of power have grown from his criticism of the Government. The authorities had still more leeway than other critics, seemed to him probably give due to his family status. The son of one of the most beloved poets of the country, is also an architect Mr AI, who helped design Beijing's Olympic Stadium, bird's nest.

According to Chinese lawyers, the police must inform arrested the family of someone 12 hours. After 48 hours, one legal expert said, should the family the reason for the arrest in writing.

In a telephone interview Tuesday morning Mr AI said woman, Qing Lu, who had given police her no explanation for why her husband was arrested or when he might be.

Mrs Lu, was brought together with a friend of Mr AI and eight employees of his studio of Beijing, after police stations for questioning on Sunday. All but Mr. of AI's friend, Wen Tao, were published.

Police officers also artist's Studio and home on Sunday searched. Employees said that dozens of items, including laptops, hard drives, DVDS, and cameras had confiscated.

Mrs Lu said that the police had a search warrant, but it no information about the reason for their actions. "I absolutely have no idea have, what they are looking for," she said. She said she was considering a lawyer, but had not done yet.

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Utility under increasing pressure

Demonstrators before, Tokyo electric power company building in Tokyo on Sunday for an end of the Kernkraft.Polizei ring Tokyo Electric Headquarters during ProtestThe embattled utility says that its employees have received death of ThreatsWorkers at a company, dorm "are nervous", says manager

Tokyo (CNN) - already confronting the nuclear accident of a historic earthquake, Japan's largest utility is now overlooking a sharp loss of public confidence and threats are to your employees, what it says.

In daily press conferences, spokesman for the Tokyo electric power company told reporters that they do their best to end a crisis that has forced to improvise them new solutions. But the company has, in the last week had important data about the conditions of the nuclear power plant retreat Fukushima Daiichi. And their financial future has tarnished was by the amount of compensation you must, after the Katastrophe--a step spokesman Junichi Masumoto figures Sunday evening recognized, that it "still" concrete plans to make.

Criticism almost daily with 40,000 public complaints, which has grown every day, in their offices, the company said. Its President, Masataka Shimizu, was hospitalized last week because of "Fatigue and stress," company President Tsunehisa Katsumata acquisition in his absence.

And the utility facing other difficult questions Sunday, when you said that it the bodies of two missing workers in the basement of the No. 4 reactor's turbine plant four days earlier had found. Spokesman said it the families held off reporting the discovery to notify and discuss with them how earthquake had missed the news about the two men, to announce that since the March 11.

Police have been awarded in Tokyo, company dormitories and the utility to protect Tokyo's downtown headquarters. Scores of officers were outside the flagship building Sunday afternoon 250 people on a damp, chilly day to demand an end of nuclear power was booked out.

"It is high time that we abolished nuclear power plants," said Makoto Yanagida, Co-Director of the atom group House Tanpopo ("Dandelion"), which organized the rally. "We want those to stop for the disaster on nuclear energy and is responsible for the protection of our posterity."

Demonstrators included many years anti-nuclear activists, rapper, drummer, guitarist, and a female impersonator uphold a sign saying Japan's Government, "Shame on you." They marched from TEPCO's headquarters of building, in the Japanese Ministry of economy, trade and industry, about four blocks away are.

Critics such as Hiroko IKE, one of the demonstrators, saying on Sunday that the close ties between the utility and the Government hard the crisis there for them to official statements of believe.

"The Government think I can't," said IKE, a 32-year-old Tokyo woman. "It sounds stupid, but I Japan want to escape." She said most Japanese against Atomic-"but I think that we feel a responsibility to the our Government."

A survey by Kyodo News Agency in late March found published, that equally divided on nuclear energy, with about 47 percent, which would Japan that power plants shut down and the same number of supporting nuclear power.

Online, calls for company officials have punished but will increase. "How you a TEPCO Executive run" was a line of comment, with several suggested that the utility bosses in the damaged plant should be enforced.

Company officials have their Geh?lter-and Privatadressen--on the Internet to spread and photos of a home, the workers in a Tokyo neighborhood houses also were booked. And, as a CNN people in the facility to interview, quickly showed up six policemen tried.

A company Manager said "The people who live here are nervous,". "That's the Fukushima incident all because of the."CNN's Kyung LAH, Whitney Hurst and Shiro TAKATA contributed to this report.

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